Welcome, Pete!

My good friend Pete got a new Xbox 360 (a Jasper unit, no less!) and is hooked up to Live. The first game he got was Sacred 2, so we are chomping at the bit to do some co-op gaming. We are tentatively scheduled for Friday. I'm really glad to have him aboard and can't wait to hook up with him. Welcome aboard, Pete!

The Beatles: Rock Band - drums

Ringo Starr is unfairly judged as an untalented guy who was lucky to be along for the ride with the other 3 Beatles. The truth is that Ringo was an essential part of the band, not only for his consistently solid drum work, but for what his personality brought to the band. After seeing the hit-and-miss solo work of the 4 individual members of the Beatles after the break-up, it is very clear that the 4 of them together inspired something truly magical. Indeed, I believe that it was almost some sort of miracle that the 4 were brought together, created musical magic and then broke up right at the end of the turbulent 60's. It is simply too big a coincidence for me that the end of The Beatles came right at the end of the 60's. The Beatles were messengers for their time and when that time was over, they went their separate ways.

But enough of my philosophizing. Back to the music, which is what really matters. Ringo Starr, along with Paul McCartney, created one of the greatest rhythm sections in rock history. Here are some of the songs I look forward to playing in TB:RB. Please note again that I am not suggesting that all of these songs will be available. Just that I would love them to be!

1. The End - well, it contains Ringo's only solo, so it's a given.
2. Birthday - a rocking track with a great beat.
3. Get Back - Ringo's driving drums propel the song forward.
4. I Call Your Name - come on; who doesn't want more cowbell?
5. She Loves You - from the opening roll through the crashing cymbals, this oldie gets some love.
6. Ticket To Ride - tremendous song with an upfront drum part for Ringo.
7. She Said She Said - some nice fills for Ringo in this one
8. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band (Reprise) - a nice little rocker; short but sweet
9. Yer Blues - something a little different and a little wild from the boys
   
10. Helter Skelter - "I got blisters on my fingers!"

I gotta say that's a pretty good set right there. I have my copy of the game pre-ordered and now all I have to do is wait. September 9th still seems like a long time away, but I have plenty to keep me busy in the interim. I'll probably be posting more Beatles: Rock Band related stuff as it pops in my head. One thing I will be doing is posting the order I would like the albums to be available for download. We already know that Abbey Road is up for #1 and that is a perfect pick in my mind. I'll get a complete list up later.

The Beatles: Rock Band - bass guitar

If Paul McCartney is not the greatest bass player of the rock era (and that's impossible to say since the answer will be based on personal opinion) then I would argue that he is more than likely the most influential. McCartney's inventive, melodic bass lines gave the songs of the Beatles a distinct sound and feel all their own. Many artists adopted the sound he got out of his iconic Hofner and used the bass guitar more to help create melodies than simply provide a backbeat. Hey, I am an unabashed McCartney fan. To me, he is one of the most talented musicians (the man can play an incredible number of instruments and play them very well) of the rock era. Together with John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, he created a legacy of music that will live on way longer than I can even imagine. The last Beatles album came out nearly 40 years ago and there are scores of teenagers that are very eager to dive in to The Beatles: Rock Band.

Picking my favorite McCartney bass lines out of the Beatles catalogs is very difficult for me. There are so many that stand out and are integral to the song that it will be way too easy to miss some that are just plain cool. But I am gonna attempt it anyway. As has been the rule in these TB:RB threads, I will repeat the disclaimer that I am in no way saying that all of these songs will be in the actual game, but these are the songs I would love to play:

1. I Saw Her Standing There - a rollicking, throbbing bass line in a great rock-n-roll song. McCartney admits that he lifted this from a Chuck Berry song, but it still rocks.
2. Day Tripper - follows the guitar riff, which is one of my all time faves.
3. Rain - a great, trippy bass line for a great, trippy song.
4. Penny Lane - from the very first note, the bass line climbs all around the tune and adds the bounce that makes the song so memorable.
5. With A Little Help From My Friends - basically the entire Sgt. Pepper album is a primer on how to play thrilling, melodic bass. This song is the first example.
6. Getting Better - another Sgt. Pepper tune. This one will be hella fun to play.
   
7. Hey Bulldog - a lesser-known Beatles tune with some agile bass playing to go along with some thumping bass as well.
8. Come Together - McCartney's bass line helps flesh out Lennon's Abbey Road opener.
9. Here Comes The Sun - Harrison's lovely song has a really nice bass line throughout.
   
10. Abbey Road side 2 medley, from You Never Give Me Your Money through The End - just some lovely playing throughout this tour de force.

Out of those 10 songs, at least 5 of them will be in the game: I Saw Her Standing There and Day Tripper will ship with the game, while the entire Abbey Road album will be available for download. That's a heckuva good start. Here's hoping the rest of them make it through somehow as well. Next will be the songs I want to play drums on. Make no mistake: Ringo may not have been flashy but he was incredibly steady and provided a great backbeat for the other lads. He was an essential part of The Beatles. But more on that later.

Fathers Day pays off BIG TIME

Had a wonderful Fathers Day as my wife and kids made me a wonderful dinner (and dessert!) and then my folks came over for a nice visit. Each of the kids (except 1 year old John) had something really nice to say about me (thanks Barb). And then of course Barb gave me a wonderful card and made the whole evening very enjoyable for everyone. I really appreciate the effort that everyone put into making the day special.

Of course the creme de la creme came when Barb gave me a bag containing a very special gift. We had agreed not to give gifts this year, but Barb never listens (haha!). Inside the bag was a small coin purse that was in the likeness of a ladybug, a small rock from our front yard and a rubber band. Even I could figure out what that meant: Beatles: Rock Band! So my beloved wife and family have pre-ordered the entire Beatles: Rock Band set for me! I will be rocking on Paul's bass guitar, Ringo's drums and have a microphone and stand to sing (and I use that term loosely) along with my all time favorite music. I'll have to keep the windows closed in order to keep the neighborhood sane, but I am gonna get tons of love out of this game. I can't wait!

Thanks to my family. I love you all so much! Thanks for making my Fathers Day special. And Zach, the pork steaks were awesome!

NCAA Football 10 = NO SALE

I posted this on the Operation Sports forums and thought I would reprint it here to sum up what I feel is a real travesty in the world of sports video gaming. This is in response to the NCAA Football 10's developer's admission that once again the game will be shipping with multiple bugs, chief among them game play sliders that do not work and therefore do not let you allow how the game plays. For example, for the second straight year, it will be virtually impossible to get any pressure on the QB. Again, working sliders should fix this. EA botched this last year as well. They released a patch that was supposed to fix the issue but it had little to no effect. Now with the 2010 version due to arrive in stores in mid-July, EA is announcing that once again the sliders are broken but that they will be patching the game ASAP. Here is my response to their announcement and to the reaction of others on the OS forums:

For the first time since it's inception as Bill Walsh College Football, I will not be buying EA's college football game this year. This has been my favorite video game series ever. Each year the release day was like a holiday to me. But I am not going to support the kind of incompetence (at best) or deceitfulness (at worst) that seems to have overtaken the franchise. How can the pass rush possibly be missing again?! It's a pretty darned essential part of football, you know? BTW, those hoping a patch will fix the sliders in any meaningful way would do well to remember last year's debacle. Another year with no pass rush and sliders that don't work. No thanks.

I have always enjoyed NCAA more than Madden, mainly because college football is my favorite sport and the game seemed more alive. This year it seems as though Madden has been made with real love and affection, while NCAA adds meaningless features and doesn't even rectify problems that were present (sliders, lack of pass rush) and completely inexcusable in last year's game. I am fed up. Peter Moore needs to step in and heads need to roll. Someone who loves college football and football video games needs to step up to the plate the same way Ian has with the Madden series. Until there is a total change in direction for the NCAA series, where realistic game play is the #1 concern, I am done with NCAA Football. I never thought I would say such a thing.

I know many of you on the fence will not be able to resist getting the game anyway and I understand. I would only advise you to try to wait until the game is released and the slider patch is out. Then come here and see what the OS veterans have to say. Make your purchase decision based on that. I'll be saving my money for Madden.

The Beatles: Rock Band - backup/harmony vocals

The Beatles were masters at creating beautiful harmonies and memorable background vocals. There are so many wonderful songs that showcase these talents that it is hard to narrow it down to 10 or so. Nevertheless, these are the ones I am most looking forward to in TB:RB. Again, I am not saying that all of these tracks will be in the game, just hoping that they will be.

1. Help! - the really obvious choice among all Beatles songs
2. You're Gonna Lose That Girl - this track is off of the Help album and is similar in it's background style
3. This Boy - really lovely harmonizing in this track
4. If I Fell - it really doesn't get any better than this; beautiful harmonies that may be difficult to replicate
5. Here Comes The Sun - just a lovely tune with great, understated harmonies
6. Because - this one may be a real killer to do, but the boys really nailed this Abbey Road track
7. Here, There And Everywhere - delicate background vocals make the song come alive
8. Yes It Is - one of the really underrated Beatles songs with harmonizing that is right up there with If I Fell
9. Eight Days A Week - such a fun song, filled with great background singing
10. Hey Jude - just for the coda alone, one of the most amazing moments in pop history

I could add plenty more, but I'll leave the list at 10. We are still nearly 3 months away from the release of the game and I am really jonesing for it. I have been listening to my (complete) Beatles collection on my iPod and singing along in the shower. A recent nasty cold has left my voice cracking even more than usual. I am going to pass out earplugs to the family when the game is released; it's the right thing to do.

Next up on my list will be either drums or bass. After I finish those, it's time to settle in and wait for the game's release. Until then Paul, John, George and Ringo will have to do the singing and playing for me.

Trailer for The Beatles: Rock Band

The Beatles: Rock Band - Vocals

I have been a Beatles fanatic for over 30 years, so their lyrics are simply implanted in my brain along with important dates, phone numbers and the eating and breathing reflexes. They are just a natural extension of my thinking. So singing songs in TB:RB is something I am really looking forward to, even if my voice is not what it used to be, and what it used to be was mediocre. After all, in my own opinion Paul McCartney was the greatest rock vocalist of all time during the Beatles era, and John Lennon was in the top 5. And George Harrison was not exactly a slouch. And Ringo...well, Ringo wasn't much to write home about but he was perfect for the songs that he sang.

There are so many songs from the Beatles' catalog that I absolutely adore that it would be hard to name just 10 or so. So I am going to split this up a bit. And I am talking lead vocals here; I will address background vocals in a separate entry. And again, I am not at all thinking that all of the songs I mention will be available in the game. I suspect the large majority will not be. But a fellow can dream, can't he?

Top Beatles hits I want to sing in TB:RB:

1. Eight Days A Week - exuberant, shiny, happy!
2. Yesterday - McCartney doing mellow like no one else
3. In My Life - a tremendously touching song with great Lennon vocals
4. Something - Harrison's most gorgeous tune and one of the all time great love songs
5. Lady Madonna - great, rowdy McCartney vocal
6. Back In The U.S.S.R. - one of the only songs I will sing at karaoke; love it!
7. A Day In The Life - Lennon's aching vocals still sting me every time I hear this song
   
8. Hey Jude - shows off McCartney's extraordinary range
   
9. Don't Let Me Down - Lennon pleading with Yoko in song form
   
10. Let It Be -absolutely lovely; the song I want played at my funeral

Here are some songs that I cannot wait to sing but I have no business even trying:

1. Why Don't We Do It In The Road? - unless the White album is released in full, this will probably never see the light of day anyway, but it has great, raucous vocals by Macca
2. Helter Skelter - I will be singing this alone to avoid great embarrassment
   
3. I've Got A Feeling - more McCartney power vocals, more voice breaking on my part
4. Twist And Shout - Lennon shredded his vocals singing this; what chance do I stand?
5. Here, There And Everywhere - like I stand a chance of hitting those high notes
6. You're Gonna Lose That Girl - this time it's Lennon hitting the high notes
7. Oh! Darling - see I've Got A Feeling above
8. Dizzy Miss Lizzy - more voice shredding by Lennon
9. Because - just no way in hell
10. I'm Down - more maniacal McCartney

(I should add Let It Be to this list; I cannot hit the high notes during the chorus to save my life.)

Here are some lesser-known songs that I would love to be able to sing in RB:TB:

1. When I Get Home
2. All I've Got To Do
3. Hold Me Tight
   
4. I Call Your Name
5. You Can't Do That
6. I'll Be Back
   
7. What You're Doing
8. The Night Before
9. I Need You
10. It's Only Love
11. Yes It Is
    
12. You Won't See Me
13. I'm Looking Through You
14. If I Needed Someone
15. Getting Better
16. Happiness Is A Warm Gun
17. Martha My Dear
18. I Will
19. Mother Nature's Son
20. Hey Bulldog
21. Two Of Us
22. Abbey Road side 2 medley, from You Never Give Me Your Money through The End

As you can see, that is quite a list. Basically I'd like to see every Beatles song released for Rock Band, as some of my favorites are the more obscure tracks. Of course isn't going to happen, so I'll have to make do with whatever they decide to release. Rest assured, I'll be ponying up for whatever they put out. With three months to go, the anticipation is really building for me.

The Beatles: Rock Band - Guitar songs

As a Beatles' fanatic, I am obviously stoked about the upcoming Beatles: Rock Band game coming out. Although I'd love to play with a replica of Paul McCartney's iconic Hofner violin bass guitar and Ringo's drums, I don't have the requisite $250 of disposable income laying around for when the game is released on September 9th. But I do have the guitar and drums from the original Rock Band, so I'll still be ready to rock and roll when the game is released. Gamestop is having a pre-order special where you will get 3 extra songs so I will definitely be going that route.

What I thought I would do is list the songs I would most like to play for each instrument. No comprehensive list of the 45 songs that are going to be released with the game has been made available, so some of my selections probably will never see the light of day. But I still thought this would be fun to do: today I will do guitar songs. Later I will cover Macca's amazing bass-playing, Ringo's steady drumming, lead vocals from Paul, John & George and finally the background vocals that would be the most fun. So without further ado, and in no particular order, here are my top 10 (or so) songs that I want to play guitar on in The Beatles: Rock Band:

1. Helter Skelter - a balls-to-the-wall rocker, no further explanation needed
   
2. Get Back - love the solos and the driving rhythm guitar
3. While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Eric Clapton and Harrison shredding their guitars
4. The End - McCartney, Harrison and Lennon trading short guitar solos/bursts
5. Can't Buy Me Love - great, tight little rocker with a punchy solo
6. Day Tripper - one of the better known guitar riffs of all time and a personal favorite
7. I've Got A Feeling - an underrated Beatles' song with a terrific riff by Lennon
8. She Said, She Said - great guitar work hereby Lennon and Harrison
9. Blackbird - an acoustic beauty with effortless playing by McCartney
10. Back In The U.S.S.R. - great rocker ala Can't Buy Me Love with a nice solo by McCartney
11. I Feel Fine - Lennon claimed that this song contains the 1st intentional use of feedback; it also contains a killer hook
12. Birthday - a great, simple rocker
    

I knew I couldn't limit it to 10, and I know I am missing some really killer songs; these are just the ones that popped into my head at the moment. Of those 10 songs, 3 of them (Get Back, Day Tripper and Back In The U.S.S.R.) are known to be in the game. In addition to the 45 songs being released with the game, the full Abbey Road album will be available for download, so that means The End will be available as well. We're off to a good start.

Quick-hit review: Drag Me To Hell

I saw this with Barb last night. First off all, yes it is a horror movie, but it is rated PG-13 so it's not hard core by any means. Second, it's directed by Sam Raimi, who is best known for the Spiderman movies. But before that he made his name with a couple of cheap horror movies, The Evil Dead series. Now the first Evil Dead movie was made on a shoestring budget and it shows. It has a lot of cheesy effects. It's also one of the scariest horror movies I remember seeing as a teenager. I still enjoy it - great stuff. Raimi then made Evil Dead 2 and with that movie he incorporated a lot of humor into the horror. And that is where Drag Me To Hell comes in.

The movie has some very creepy moments and a couple of jump-out-of-your-seat shockers, but there is a sense of humor prevalent throughout and that really kind of tames the horror aspect of it. A lot of the humor is of the gross-out or slapstick variety. I mean, you can only see the heroine vomited upon so many times before you start to realize it's a running gag and the movie isn't taking itself very seriously. For my wife, who is a serious horror movie fan, the changing tones didn't work at all. She didn't like the film. I thought it was a lot of fun as long as you realized it wasn't going to be straight-up horror film. I can certainly understand my wife not getting into it. And we both agreed that it was very predictable, especially the finale. Which leads me to another point, and I guess I better use a spoiler warning so that I don't ruin the film for anyone.

***SPOILER***
DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE!!!

Why is it that all horror movies have to have bad endings where evil always triumphs? I guess it is so the audience can leave the theater with an extra goose bump, knowing that "the danger is still out there" but it has become so overdone and so routine that it takes absolutely all of the surprise out of the ending. Every single horror flick I have seen over the last few years gives the viewer a false happy ending and then right before the credits, evil triumphs and the protagonist is killed or dragged to hell or whatever. Memo to horror movie makers: You have taken all of the suspense out of horror movies because we all know how it is going to end - evil is going to triumph. It's not a surprise anymore and it no longer resonates. Someone out there, please start mixing things up. Thank you.

***END OF SPOILER WARNING***

Okay, so I thought the movie was fun but predictable. I would definitely recommend waiting for it to come out on DVD rather than seeing it in the theater. If I had to give a grade, it would be somewhere between a B- and a C+. How's that for waffling?

Drag Me To Hell

My wife is a big horror movie fan, and I like them too if they are well done, which unfortunately cannot be said for about 98% of them. But we've been hearing good things about Drag Me To Hell so we are planning on seeing it tonight. We have a Date Night set up - dinner and a movie - so we get to spend some much needed time together. I'll post a quick-hit review up later about the movie. The rest I am gonna keep to myself...

Still addicted to Sacred 2

Still hacking and slashing my way through Sacred 2. I have my character up to level 48 (level 200 is max so I still have a looooong way to go) and I am finding way cooler weapons and armor. My poor wife comes downstairs and sees me slaughtering a seemingly endless line of enemies and just shakes her head. She doesn't get video games, let alone a hack-n-slasher like Sacred 2. It's all about the leveling up, Dear. Just 10 more minutes...

Could Dave Checketts be a St. Louis sports savior again?!

Dave Checketts is the New York businessman that rescued the St. Louis Blues when Bill Laurie gutted the team and put it up for sale. Checketts put together an ownership group, bought the Blues, kept the team in St. Louis and made them winners again. Now Bernie Miklasz reports that he wants to do the same with the St. Louis Rams. If he can do it, and he keeps them in St. Louis, I am all aboard.

Checketts himself isn't exactly mega-wealthy. But he has a knack for getting money together and achieving his goals. Who knows if he can come through with $900 million (the estmated worth of the Rams)? But it's a step in the right direction. Click here to read Miklasz's article.